Blue 42 by C.A. Rene

Chapter twenty-six

Sebastian

It’s been two weeks since Dixon identified his brother and he hasn’t been back to Buffalo. I tried calling him and texting him, but he’s not responding. I would’ve already made my way back there if Coach hadn’t informed the team that he would be back next week and he’s bringing his mother. I know he purchased a new home, a larger home, and it’s even closer to me. I can give him the time it takes for his ass to be back here and then I’m forcing him to see me.

“Something weird happened last night,” Jameson says as he sits beside me on the bench. I look at him with my brow raised and Ortiz sits on my other side. “Dani put her hand on my dick.”

“What?”

“Is she still dating Dixon?” Ortiz asks.

“I don’t know,” I answer truthfully, “I haven’t spoken to either of them.”

“She was patting my chest and then her hand trailed down, landing on my - “

“Yeah, dick.” I cut him off, “I heard you. What were you talking about?”

He moves in his seat, looking slightly uncomfortable, and I can already sense that I’m not going to like it.

“You,” he clears his throat, “and Dixon.”

“What about us?”

“She wanted to know why you stayed in Baltimore a few weeks ago,” Ortiz speaks for him, “and she asked us if you talk to Dixon at all.”

“Weird.” I mutter but my heart is pounding in my chest, “why is she asking about Dixon?”

“Maybe he’s not talking to her, which would be understandable with all that’s happened,” Jameson answers, “but why is she touching me up?”

Why indeed.

“She’s been flirting heavily with me, too.” Ortiz states and that sends my blood on overdrive.

She’s questioning and flirting with my two closest friends while asking for information about Dixon and me. What the fuck is she up to? I can’t rely on these two to get me that information, I’ll need to do it myself, and that means making the bitch believe I want to talk to her.

My phone rings and I see Delano on the screen. I stand up and leave the locker room to take his call in the hallway.

“Tell me you have something.” I say as soon as I pick up.

“We know the two guys that did it,” he says, “they aren’t being too quiet about it. They’re using North’s death as a warning to others who don’t hold up their end of the bargain.”

“Do you think you can get them?” I ask him quietly, “the two that killed Little North?”

“Yeah,” he chuckles, “I can get them, but what do you want us to do with them?”

“Hold them until I get there.” I scrub my hand down my chin, “we have a game tomorrow night, but I can be home Monday evening.”

“Sounds good.”

“Let me know the second you got them.” I demand and he grunts as he hangs up.

I can’t give Dixon his brother back but I can do something to rectify what happened. I can also use those fuckers as an example of what happens when you fuck with a North. That way, I can make sure Dixon and his mom stay safe.

Dani is striding down the corridor, on her way to her father’s office no doubt, when I step out of the adjacent hallway, and step in her path. She gasps as she stumbles to a stop and her hand flies to her throat.

“Dani,” I add longing into my voice and give her a slow once over.

“You scared me, Sebastian.” She clears her throat and narrows her eyes. Not going to be easy at all. “What do you want?”

“What I know belongs to me.” I bite into my lip and she follows the motion.

“I don’t understand what you mean,” she murmurs, sounding very suspicious.

I brush by her and continue walking out to the field, feeling her eyes on my back as I go. Baby steps. First, I need her to believe I’m once again interested in her and then I need her to trust me enough to talk to me. This was always going to be my plan, only now I’ve upped the timeline.

Dixon will be back in a week and I have a lot to prepare before then. I’m pissed he hasn’t replied to me and I have a punishment in mind for when he’s back in the city. After everything that’s happened between us, I won’t let him shut me out, and I can be the person that helps him grieve. But first, he needs to be punished and I love handing out punishments.

I run the same laps around the field that he used to, it makes me feel closer to him, and the ache that’s been sitting in my chest dissipates. There’s only one other person in this world that makes me feel this way and that’s my daughter Carla. She’s always been my ray of sunshine in the storm that’s my life and she knows just how to wrap me around her little princess finger. When I get back to Rochester to deal with business, I can pop in and see her too, and my soul can be recharged until the next time I can visit.

With the game coming up tonight and Dixon on my mind, concentrating on anything else feels impossible. Dani is an added nuisance but I’m dealing with it now before it gets any worse. Females can be nasty and a scorned one can be deadly.

That’s why her suspicions are bothersome.

Dixon

We buried Daniel last week in the same cemetery my father was laid to rest. I don’t remember much after recognizing him on that gurney and waiting for my mother to get to the hospital. It would’ve been more agonizing if Sebastian wasn’t there, but I didn’t get the chance to tell him that, and during the hectic events after, he disappeared.

Both mine and my Ma’s cellphones were confiscated for the investigation and the cops tore through our home, looking for clues as to Daniel’s affiliations. Even when I explained to them that this was a new home, they still insisted upon the search, and since we want to find out who did this, we complied.

We were told he was killed execution style and his body had been on that boat for at least a few days, until the owner discovered it. I have heard what they have in terms of theories but nothing is concrete. The cops have said they’ve seen this type of killing before and in that local area. Apparently, it’s done when someone has gone against the gang’s demands. Was Daniel trying to get out?

My mother has been a wreck and when I told her she was moving with me to Buffalo, she barely put up a fight. I know she feels like there’s nothing else here for her and that breaks my heart. I bought us a new home and it’s bigger than we ever could’ve dreamed about owning. I bought it in Daniel’s memory and I will still make sure there’s a room just for him. Sebastian was right, I need to carry on with my career, and I need to do it for Danny.

My knee has healed enough that I can once again put my weight on it, but running still hurts, and the pain seems to be localized at the knee cap. The doctor said that’s normal and I should be ready to go in a few more weeks. Coach has been incredibly supportive and he has been checking in, not only about my knee but my brother, too. I haven’t spoken to Dani and I really haven’t had the urge to, I’ll see her when I get back anyway. I don’t know if she has been trying to get a hold of me or not, I will know when the cops return our phones tomorrow.

It feels like time has been standing still and rushing forward all at once, sometimes I feel stuck in a moment only to pull out of it and realize hours have passed. Sometimes I’m taken back to a time when Danny and I were children and he didn’t avoid me as much, I can lose hours in those memories. I’ve tried to pinpoint the moment things changed, when we reached the point of no return, and when saving my little brother was impossible. I can’t see it and that makes me feel even worse. I was away too often and each time I came home, he was a little older. I didn’t see the change from a delinquent teen into a disgruntled man and that’s what saddens me the most. No one paid attention to Danny.